2014 Eastern Province Kings season: Difference between revisions

In 2014, the Eastern Province Kings will participate in the Currie Cup and the Vodacom Cup competitions. The Eastern Province U21 team will also play in the 2014 Under-21 Provincial Championship and the Eastern Province U19 team in the 2014 Under-19 Provincial Championship. As part of the Southern Kings franchise, a number of players also participated in friendlies for this franchise.

Chronological list of events[edit]

• 5 November 2013: The squad for the 2014 season is revealed. New recruits include Jaco Grobler and BG Uys from the Leopards and Simon Kerrod from the Sharks.^[1]
• 11 November 2013: Rynier Bernardo and Shane Gates join the Cheetahs wider training group prior to the 2014 Super Rugby season.^[2]
• 11 November 2013: The Kings announce that eighteen players from clubs from the Eastern Province union will be included in the EP Kings wider training squad for the 2014 Vodacom Cup. The players selected are: Raymond Darries (Progress), Monray Evans (Grahamstown Brumbies), Giovano Fourie (Despatch), Tildon Goliath (Hankey Villagers), Tashriq Hearn (SAPS), Ben Jacobs (Progress), Kalvano King (Trying Stars), Ben Kleynhans (SAPS), Lance Louw (Rosebuds), Ronwich Lovemore (Gardens), Vincent Mains (Grahamstown Brumbies), Athenhosi Manentsa (African Bombers), Lumko Mbane (African Bombers), Luvuyo Mhlobiso (Spring Rose), Kevin Plaatjies (SAPS), Curtis Sias (Progress), Wade Stuurman (Kruisfontein) and Ignick Windvogel (Hankey Villagers).^[3]
• 17 November 2013: Lizo Gqoboka and George Whitehead join the Sharks wider training group prior to the 2014 Super Rugby season.^[4]
• 19 November 2013: Giovano Fourie declines an invitation to join the wider training squad for the 2014 Vodacom Cup due to work commitments in Rustenburg.^[5]
• 10 December 2013: Carlos Spencer joins the Kings as kicking and specialist skills coach on a five-year contract.^[6]
• 14 December 2013: Head coach Matt Sexton quits the Kings to return to New Zealand due to personal reasons.^[7]
• 17 December 2013: Although initially signing for Toulouse as a medical joker, prop Schalk Ferreira signs a new three-year deal with the side, ruling out a return to the Kings.^[8]
• 3 January 2014: The Kings announce that UFS Shimlas head coach and Cheetahs and Free State Cheetahs defensive coach Michael Horak will join them as a defensive coach following the completion of Shimlas’ 2014 Varsity Cup campaign.^[9]
• 5 January 2014: Centre and vice-captain Andries Strauss joins Scottish side Edinburgh until 2016.^[10]
• 7 January 2014: Tiger Mangweni retires as a player and is appointed as the defensive coach for the EP Kings’ Vodacom Cup side.^[11]
• 18 January 2014: Rynier Bernardo and Shane Gates, who were part of the Cheetahs wider training group, are not named in their final training group.^[12]
• 20 January 2014: Centre Dwayne Jenner joins the Kings from the Border Bulldogs, lock Stephan Greeff joins on a loan deal from the Golden Lions and hookers JC Oberholzer (from the Leopards) and Tabbie du Plessis (the younger brother of Springboks Bismarck and Jannie) join the Kings on trial.^[13]
• 25 January 2014: The Southern Kings – made up entirely of Eastern Province Kings players – lose 21–36 to the Cheetahs in a warm-up match prior to the 2014 Super Rugby season.^[14]
• 28 January 2014: It is confirmed that Academy coach Mzwandile Stick would be the coach of the Eastern Province Kings during the 2014 Vodacom Cup competition.^[15]
• 1 February 2014: The Southern Kings lose 19–12 to the Lions in a Super Rugby warm-up match,^[16] while the Eastern Province Kings Vodacom Cup side draw 22–22 against 2013 SARU Community Cup champions GAP Despatch.^[17]
• 7 February 2014: The Southern Kings lose their final warm-up match 7–40 to the Stormers.^[18]
• 13 February 2014: The Eastern Province Kings are promoted to the Premier Division of the Currie Cup competition after it was announced that the competition will be expanded from six to eight teams.^[19]
• 17 February 2014: Kings CEO Charl Crous confirms that full-back Siviwe Soyizwapi joined Scott van Breda in signing for the Stormers on a loan deal, following injuries to Cheslin Kolbe and Jaco Taute.^[20]
• 20 February 2014: Kicking and specialist skills coach Carlos Spencer is also appointed as the head coach of the EP Kings for the 2014 Currie Cup Premier Division season.^[21]
• 26 February 2014: The Eastern Province Vodacom Cup side lost 46–8 to Griquas in a pre-season trial match.^[22]
• 4 March 2014: Siviwe Soyizwapi and Scott van Breda return from their loan spell at the Stormers to be named in the Eastern Province Kings…